Welcome back kids. Here we go!

September is back and do you know what that means?

That's right.  Miserocople.  Or what I'd like to think of as the miserable microscope.

No, that's not the name of the depressed, unhappy, albeit handy Sesame Street character, it's the name of this lab tool. Totally not what I taught.  Not what I made them repeat twenty times.  Nope. We used these last year.  But this year it has become the MISEROCOPLE!

But that's okay.  This paper wasn't even the worst.  I'm actually really glad I got an answer.

These students, as many of you know, are new to the whole English thing. 

Here are some misspellings form today:

Instead of MONKEY, I got MONCKY

Instead of scissors, I get CEISSERS.

For example today:

Student: "This candy is green.  It tastes like a lemon."

Me: "What other flavor can you think of that is citrus and GREEN?"

Student: "a lemon"

Me: "Think again"

Student: (deliberates) "...a pineapple!"

Me: (flat smile) "Walk away from me please.  Talk to your partner now."

I've got some translators coming soon. I"M SO HAPPY. I started a Donors choose project that was funded on less than a day!  You have no idea how much of a struggle it is for my students to translate EVERY WORD of every day.  In writing, in reading, in speaking, it's exhausting mentally.  Plus, I've got students who don't know how to use a dictionary.  Nor do they understand my directions.  I speak in sentences that are  4 syllables or less. 

 "TOMORROW QUIZ"  

"THIS IS NOT GOOD"

"BE SPECIFIC"

What are they supposed to do?  WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?  I do have some students that speak English.  They are amazeballs.  They get my jokes. They sing Vanessa Carlton songs.  And best of all?  They don't give a damn about Justin Beiber or One Direction.  

Anyhoo,

summer is always fast.  I took a biotech class at Hunter college.  Saw several friends get married. (OMG hindi weddings are amazing)  Had some quality cousin time.  I'm also trying to get my house together.  I feel very accomplished when I paint a shoe rack for 4 hours while watching Sex and the City reruns.  

Here's to another year,

April

Ecuador: Quilotoa Loop, Guest post

It's our meet-a-versary.  Three years ago today, James and I met. Which brought us to some of our best memories, including our first BIG trip. We went to Ecuador!

There was one part worth noting: The Quilotoa Loop

If you're going to Ecuador and backpacking, this is the route for you.

James:

The Quilotoa Loop is a little off the beaten path.  Some choose to hike the whole loop, while others take buses or hitch rides with locals.  We chose to start by bus from Latacunga.  The road curves around switchbacks up and down the edges of mountain sides for what felt like an eternity.  The views are incredible for nearly the entire ride.

We hopped off the bus at Chugchilan in search of the Black Sheep Inn.  After realizing that the town of Chugchilan was not very large, we strolled around and decided that it wasn't worth the price.  We booked a room at Mama Hilda's for nearly 1/6th the price of Black Sheep Inn, and the cost included breakfast and dinner (both of which were really good).  It was cold that night, but there were plenty of blankets to stay warm under.

After breakfast, we ended up getting a ride from a local up to the top of the Quilotoa Crater.  What a view!  The crater descends a little over 900 feet (280-meters) to a beautiful lake.  Once a massive volcano, it has remained dormant for a long time.  We forgot to reserve mules to ride back to the top before heading down, but it ended up being alright as there was a lady stationed at the bottom who literally yelled up the crater for people to send down mules for us.  I ended up hiking out and got to the top just before the mules arrived with April and the others we met during the hike.

We hopped back into the pickup truck to continue around the loop to Posada de Tigua - a bed and breakfast / farm.

The family who runs this place was extremely friendly and giving.  The second we walked in we were given a bowl of amazing quinoa soup.  After settling into a room, we spent the rest of the day walking around the grounds taking in the scenery, watching children round up the sheep and bring them back from the pastures, watched llamas and the family dogs and cats play with each other.

I learned how to milk cows and then, for some reason... I drank that milk immediately after milking it!  In retrospect, that was quite a dumb decision but luckily I didn't get any crazy sickness. They actually use the milk to make all sorts of foods, such as fresh cheese, cream, yogurt, butter and caramel.

The next day we caught a ride up the 2-kilometer driveway from Posada de Tigua  out to the main road and waited until a bus came, which we eventually took back to Latacunga.  It was a great two day adventure full of good food, wild rides, and amazing views.

"What comes after G?" a welcome back to school post

School started.

Meeting new students is always nerve racking.  I  was having teacher nightmares, you know, the one where my alarm doesn't go off and there's a room full of students and no teacher and I get a phone call asking me where I am and if I know what time it is.  Sigh.

However, this year has already shown some real hurdles. For example, when labeling papers from A-Z, one student stopped at G. I told her to continue and she said, "I don't know what comes next"
I told her "H".  
She stared at me.  I said it again, "H".  
More staring.  
Then I said, "hache"
Finally, she wrote down an H.

I am supposed to get this girl to pass a NY state science regents exam.  The same exam you and I would take in high school.  It isn't fair.  But guess what?  
I already got this girl to pass the regents.
She's just in my class again because she failed my class.

I started the year off with an activity I did with my Sci-Ed group.  The Marshmallow Challenge!
Here's the Marshmallow Challenge TED Talk. It's a real thing! Thousands of people have done it!

I give instructions through a prezi  and have the kids build the tallest structure they can out of 20 sticks of spaghetti, 1 yard of tape, 1 yard of string, and it must have a marshmallow sitting on top.

When I tried it, I wanted to snap all the spaghetti sticks and throw them across the room.  
Compared to me and my rage filled angst against marshmallows during this activity, my kids did rather well.  
The time constraint did not faze them at all.  
The time constraint made me go nuts.

It's hard to say how this year will go.  
I am trying to keep my kids terrified for now.
I'm just kidding.  
Sort of.
My little nephew is helping me keep my game face on.  
Look at his face. This kid is not having it.

I think its true what they say, don't smile until January.  

It's still summer. Thank god.

Today I had brunch with my sister and Christina.  It was a gorgeous day!

We went to Jacob's Pickles in the upper west side.  The portions make me want to do lunges as I eat. I didn't eat the grits.  There was a helluva lot of cheddar in the grits and that freaked me out.

I also didn't eat the bacon, but I repurposed them in my dinner. (farmers market tomatoes, basil and bacon with ricotta arugula ravioli). I can't believe my basil plant is still alive.

We went through a street fair afterward and stopped at a thrift store.  Apparently, buying everything in 3's really helps save money.  Plus my sister haggled with the vendors since she is still in Egypt mode. We bought three lockets and three dresses!

After my sister left, Christina and I proceeded to have real talk. This is where I basically give her advice she didn't ask for.  I give her advice because I know how tough it is to be in your mid-twenties.  I'm so glad my tumultuous 20's are almost over. 

Although, I'm quite fond of 29.  Maybe my thirties can wait. 

If anyone knows me, they know my cousins too.  After all, I'm Amy's maid of honor and she's mine. 

Our families all came to this country together and weekends and holidays were always jam packed with family.  We might be all separated now, but we keep in touch. We call for advice. We tell each other everything. We listen. It's nice. 

Here's an old picture of me and Amy.  Victor and Christina are there too. Apparently, we are having a blast.

I don't know if we were friends at this age  (age 7?).  I think our parents put us together in a room and hoped for the best.

James is on some hiking trip.  He is carrying everything he needs for two days on this back and hiking up mountains.  I wasn't invited and that's totally okay with me.  I'm not good with inclines.

Life in Washington State and Oregon

New York City had a heat wave while I was away. HA!
I was away in Washington State and Oregon for 3 weeks.

Two weeks was spent in the drier side of Washington State, Richland.  I was selected to participate in a science teacher enrichment program called Siemens Teachers as Researchers (STARs).

The program was pretty amazing.  I even received a small stipend for school supplies! Teachers get to pair up with scientists at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and work on research projects. For two weeks, I got to work alongside a environmental geologist who is working on a way to store supercritical carbon dioxide deep in underground aquifers. Other teachers had similar project goals with their mentors but instead of hiding CO2 underground they were working on making molecules that absorb CO2.  Another super cool project was storing hazardous waste in glass a process called vitrification.  

Everything was ridiculously technical and the multimillion dollar equipment was highly complex. I kept thinking to myself, "Holy crap, these scientists are so smart. Or I must be kind of stupid. Wait no, I'm normal and these people are crazy smart."

Everything was paid for: lodging, food, and tours!  Tours such as the first nuclear reactor and the Wild Horse Wind Farm and Solar Facility.  I didn't think the wind farm would be all that interesting but it was!  I took some cool videos and got to learn more about how they work! FYI, they make you wear helmets and goggles on the tour, hence the geeky photo.

The hotel was right next to a lovely lake with a great running trail.  I ran almost every day at sunset!

I left dry and hot Richland for Portland, Oregon.  My roommate from the program, Amanda, was nice enough to drive me all the way there!  I met James, Amy, and Chris in Portland. James and I were on a mission: engagement photos for Amy and Chris!  James mostly photographs places and nature (on his website) but I think these turned out really spectacular.  Here's one of my favorites, an impromptu shot at the famous Multnomah Falls:

First of all, Portland was warm during the day but cold at night. It was July and I was freezing.  I was not prepared!
We enjoyed delicious meals and beer  flights at Andina (peruvian tapas), Deschutes (brewery), and Rogue (brewery), and the green machine roll with albacore at Bamboo Sushi (sustainable fish!).

We also waited in line for VooDoo donuts. (worth the wait!)

James and I eventually took off for Washington State but first stopped at Cannon Beach and Ecola State Park.  Its weird to go to a beach in July and be cold. The views were gorgeous and worth the stop!

Then to Olympic National Park for some hiking. This park has mountains, rainforests, beaches, and lakes!

We took the Mt. Storm King trail to get a view of Crescent Lake.  This trail was trying to end me. 
2.2 miles each way on a relentless steep incline. GAHHHH.  I can't believe James didn't freak out on me. I was being such a whiner on the way up.

"Whyyyy?"
"I can't move anymore"
"Make it stop!"
"I don't even want to see the view anymore!"
"I can't feel my legs"

We eventually got to sit and eat lunch overlooking Crescent Lake. Needless to say, I would not recommend this trail unless you like hiking on steep trails that hurt your legs.

Next stop, Seattle!  My friend Fauna moved to Seattle recently and has become an expert on it overnight!  We had the best food, the best being a urban Korean restaurant called Revel (carrot cumin pancake with roasted lemon yogurt and green curry dumplings!) and brunch at Portage Bay (get the french toast with breakfast bar and load up on fresh berries!).

Eat like you give a damn!

We got to spend time walking to different parks and neighborhoods. It's really green out west (literally, lots of trees but also lots of green people composting, recycling everything, banning plastic bags, and using reusable bags!)

Some park with astroturf!

Gasworks Park with Fauna!

I had a rough transition back to NYC. It's always crazy here. 
But I think this is where I belong. 

I have news.

According to my dad, July 4th is America's birthday. 

Why not celebrate with a shiny, shiny ring?

I'm engaged!!!

On July 4th, two years ago, James and I packed a picnic and headed to Central Park.  

We laid around, ate food, watched people pass by. The weather was warm and sunny.

He turned to me and said, "I love you" for the first time.

It was a nice moment.

We left to meet up with friends and watch the fireworks over the Hudson River, holding hands.

This July 4th was particularly hot, but James insisted on a picnic.  We woke up, drank our iced coffee and prepared a tortellini salad and baguette sandwiches.

We talked about our favorite memories, traveling through Ecuador, visiting Asheville, North Carolina, lazy beach days, cooking new foods, seeing amazing concerts, and all the great things we have done together.

Then a ring box appeared and I freaked out.

I said, "ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?" 

And then said yes.

We swiftly got some macarons at Bouchon Bakery and hopped a cab downtown.  I thought we were going to dinner but instead James booked an amazing corner suite in the Standard Hotel  right on the HighLine in the meatpacking district overlooking the Hudson River.  We had fancy drinks in the hotel roof restaurant, listened to live jazz music, and ate some chocolate covered strawberries (sneakily sent to us from Nasir).

We drank bubbly (brought over by Rachel!) while the fireworks went off.  We could see and hear the fireworks perfectly from our room, in air conditioning. Thank god because was crazy hot outside and I get really irritated when I'm hot. 

The next day we slept in and ordered room service (brioche french toast with candied walnuts and bananas and a pot of coffee). 

We met my cousin Christina the next day in the west village at Davids Tea and we started talking about the ring.

Me: "I would have been okay if you didn't get me a diamond. A sapphire would have been fine.  I don't want anyone to die for a diamond."

James: "Someone probably died for the sapphires too"

Christina: "Well in that case, I'll take TWO diamonds"

Luckily, James bought an eco-friendly, conflict-free diamond with recycled gold from a wonderful NYC based jeweler, Ken & Dana Design. They even donate to non-profit organizations from every engagement ring sold!

They were extremely accommodating when James busted through their door and wanted a ring in a week. Their style is unique and you can even choose the diamond/gemstone you want.  Some of the designs remind me of fairly tales and look like tree roots wrapping around the diamond.  So pretty!  We cannot recommend them enough!

Thanks to everyone to sent us good wishes.  It means a lot.

The Color Run: Cornstarch at its Best

James, Rachel and I decided to wake up on a Sunday before 6 am to trek to Brooklyn and run a 5K.
Totally worth it!

The Before!

The Color Run is quite possibly the easiest 5K to run! Hence, the slogan "Happiest 5K on the planet!" People of all ages (even kids in strollers!)  participate!  No one is timing you!
You know what that means?

 #IM TOTALLY WINNING

Here are some Color Run Tips

1. Wear sunglasses. The volunteers throwing cornstarch at you have no training and will throw it in your face.

2. Run through the color stations TWICE, Rachel ran through the orange station with not a drop of orange on her.  I guess thats what free labor will get you. Which brings me to the next tip.

3. Slow down and tell the color volunteers, "HIT ME!" and they will. Maybe in your face.

4. Don't bother wearing earphones. Don't carry too much, there's no where to hold your stuff unless your VIP.  I know its not the 80's, but a fanny pack would have been nice. Ask your grandma if she has one.  Put everything in a ziploc!

5. We ran during a heat wave.  It WAS HOT HOT HOT.
 SWEAT + BLUE cornstarch= you need to scrub your skin off to get back to regular human color. Your loofah will be your best friend.

6. The Color Run says to save your color packet until the end. But at the end, we were like, "OK, now what?"  The DJ will tell you when to throw the color.  We figured that out three minutes too late.

7. We took the shuttle and the bus but if someone drives bring something to sit on so you don't leave a rainbow butt stain in their car like we did on the subway. FYI, there was lots of parking available in the Brooklyn site.

There some some freebies at the end of the run. Some yogurt ice pops, HonestTea, drink samples, Kind granola bars, etc.  There were tons of runners dancing near the music stage (thats where you wait to throw the color packet).  If you're running with friends, make sure you get different color packets when you pick up your T-shirt and bib.  We got a lot of blue/teal.  We wanted purple! We should've switched them out!

The AFTER!

Lastly, remember to blow your nose when your done. 
...It's not going to look like a rainbow.